Kootenai County Deserves Better: A Call for Public Safety, Accountability, and Community Dignity

To the Mayor of Post Falls, Post Falls City Council, Post Falls Police Department, Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, and relevant Kootenai County officials:

 

My name is Hayley Serdahl, and I am calling on our local leaders to take meaningful action in response to longstanding community concerns involving Jim Valentine and Dixie Services.

 

This petition is about more than offensive flags or controversial political opinions. It is about public safety, the treatment of our neighbors, and whether people in our community can raise legitimate concerns and expect our local leadership to take them seriously.

 

My incident with Mr. Valentine was not an isolated one. For years, news reports have documented controversy surrounding Jim Valentine and Dixie Services over Confederate imagery, racist caricatures, and inflammatory public messaging.

 

Reported displays have included Confederate flags, racist depictions of Black people, and signage containing derogatory language directed at LGBTQIA+ people.

 

These displays and statements have consequences beyond the person displaying them. They communicate messages about who is welcome, who is respected, and whose dignity is treated as expendable.

 

Black residents, LGBTQIA+ residents, and other members of our community should not have to wonder whether they will be targeted, demeaned, or made to feel unwelcome in the places where they live.

 

Public safety should be taken seriously. I am also concerned about reported driving behavior involving a heavily decorated vehicle, including allegations of impeding traffic, cutting off other motorists, and intimidating people in public.

 

News coverage has reported that Valentine was charged with battery following a June 2025 incident involving protesters and a decorated vehicle. A charge is not proof of guilt, and the status and outcome of that case should be accurately represented. Nevertheless, reports of potentially dangerous conduct warrant appropriate scrutiny.

 

I also possess a video, recorded with permission, at the October 17, 2026 No Kings Protest in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in which Valentine makes a statement asserting that enslaved people wanted to be enslaved. I am making this video available as part of the public discussion because the historical reality of slavery cannot be separated from the coercion, violence, and denial of freedom endured by enslaved people. Especially in the area where Richard Butler, one of the most notorious white-supremacists in the country, and the founder of the Aryan Nations, had his famous compound. One would like to think the officials in the area would want to ensure that minorities feel welcome here. 

This campaign is not a demand to punish someone simply for their political beliefs. It is a call for local authorities to take documented behavior seriously and respond to legitimate community concerns.

What We Are Asking Our Local Leaders to Do:

We respectfully request the following actions:

 

1. Review and investigate documented public-safety concerns.

The appropriate authorities should review credible reports and available evidence of dangerous driving, traffic obstruction, and potentially unlawful conduct. Applicable laws should be enforced consistently, regardless of an individual’s political views, business ownership, or public notoriety.

2. Provide a clear and accessible reporting process.

Residents should know where to report incidents, how to submit video and witness information, and how to follow up through appropriate channels.

3. Publicly acknowledge the community impact of racist and anti-LGBTQ messaging.

We ask our elected officials to recognize the legitimate concerns of residents who experience or fear racism, anti-LGBTQ hostility, and intimidation. Silence does not resolve these concerns, and residents deserve to know that their experiences are being heard.

4. Meet with concerned residents and community organizations.

We request an opportunity for residents, civil-rights advocates, and local leadership to discuss these concerns and identify practical steps that support safety, inclusion, and public trust.

5. Provide a public response and outline appropriate next steps.

We ask the Mayor and City Council to respond to this petition, clarify which concerns fall within their authority, and explain what lawful actions or referrals are available.

Freedom of expression is a fundamental right, even when the expression is offensive or deeply hurtful. But it does not excuse dangerous driving, threats, harassment, or other unlawful conduct.

We can respect constitutional rights while still speaking out against racism, challenging dehumanizing rhetoric, supporting our LGBTQIA+ neighbors, and demanding that public-safety concerns receive appropriate attention.

We do not have to agree on everything to agree that our neighbors deserve dignity and that public roads should be safe.

I am asking residents of Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene, and the surrounding community to stand together and call for a fair, evidence-based response.

We deserve a community where every resident’s safety matters, where concerns are heard, and where accountability applies equally to everyone.

 

Please sign and share this petition. Ask our local leaders to respond and take meaningful, lawful steps toward public safety, accountability, and community dignity. And don’t forget to vote on November 3rd! 

 

Submitted by: Hayley Serdahl

Community: Post Falls, Idaho and Surrounding Areas

Date: 10/17/26